Fire-escape.



PATENTED MAY l, 1906.

L. S. FRANKLIN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION HLBD JULY22,1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May l, 1906.

Application filed July 22,1904. Serial No. 217,703.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs SoLMAN FRANK- LIN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie, in the State of. New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to im rovements in fire-escapes; and the objectvo the invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and eflicient fire-escape which is applicable to any class of building.

The invention consists in the novel features which are appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a general perspective view of my e-escape, the parts being intermediately broken away to more clearly exhibit the construction of my device. Fig. 2 is a detail of the braking mechanism.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

1 and 2 are the main guideways, each having an open-slotted front 4. The guideways are suitably secured to the walls of the building and at the top and bottom to connectingbars 5 and 6.

7 is the cage, provided with front and back entrance-openings 8 and 9.

10 is the supporting-frame of the cage, comprising the blocks 11, operating in the guideways 1- and 2, arms 12 extending outwardly from the blocks and upon which the cage 7 is supported, and braces 13 extending between the outer ends of the arms 12 and the blocks 11.

14 represents tubular chutes, in which the weights 15 are designed to operate.

16 -represents pulleys journaled in standards 17. 18 represents cables which pass over the pulleys 16 and are secured at one end to the weights 15 and at the opposite end to the blocks 11. By this means the weight of the cage and supporting-frame is balanced.

19 is a pulley located in proximity to the top of the building, and 20 is a pulley located in proximity to the bottom of the building.

21 is a cable secured to the top of the cave 7. The cable 21 passes vertically upwardly and over the pulley 19 and from thence downwardly under the pulley 20, and from thence upwardly to the bottom of the cage to which it is suitably secured. By pulling on the cable 21 the cage may be raised or lowered to any desired point.

particularly set forth in the The pulley 19 is provided with a device, which I shall now describe.

22 is a brake-shoe semicircular in form and pivoted at one end between the strap-hanger 23 and extending outwardly in a horizontal direction at the opposite side.

24 and 25 are down-hangers. The hanger 24 is pivotally supported beneath the shoe and the hanger 25 between the sides of the strap-hanger 23. The hangers 24 and 25 are provided with holes 26 and 27, through which the main cable 21 is designed to pass. 28 and 29 are holes also formed in the hangers 24 and 25. In thek hole 28 is secured a rope 30, which asses through the hole 29 in the hanger 24 andp is secured at the opposite end to the brake-line 31.

raking By pulling on the brake-line 31 the hangers 24 and 25 are drawn inwardly at their lower end, so as to bind the cable 21 around the periphery of the pulley 19 at the same time the brake-shoe is brought down upon the periphery of the pulley. By this means the cage is stopped and held at any desired point in its ascent or descent.

From this description it will be seen that I have provided a very simple, cheap, and efficient form of fire-escape adapted to all classes of buildings.

What I claim as my invention is-` 1'. In a fire-escape, the combination with the cage and its operating-cable and thepulley on which said cable passes, of a braking device comprising a brake-band mounted in proximity to the periphery of said pulley, an operating-rope attached to the free end of said band, swinging hangers depending below the pulley and having eyes through which the hoisting-cable passes, and means connected to the operating-rope for drawing said dependin hangers together, substantially as descri ed.

2. The combination with the cage and its hoisting-cable and the pulley on which said cable passes, of a brake band or shoe, movable guides for the hoisting-cable below the pulley, and an operating-rope having connections for simultaneously drawing said guides toward each' other and applying the brake -shoe or band, substantially as described.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination with the vertical guideways, the platform operating therein and the operating-cable therefor extending 'around the upper and lower pulleys, of a braking device comprising a brakeband pivotally connected between the arms IOO rio'

of the supporting-braoket o the upper pulley and designed to extend over the pulley and an operating-rope attached to the free end of the brake-band, swinging hangers provided With perforated inturned ends through Which the main operating-cable passes, a rope oonneoted to one han er and designed to pass down through a ho einfithefoppositehanger and to be secured to the brake-operating rope as and for the purpose specified. l

4. In a iire-esoape, the combination with the Vertical guideways, the platform operat- A ing therein and the operating-cable therefor designed to extend around the upper and lower pulleys, of la brake-band extending 15 around the upperpulley and means when the brake-band is operated of drawing the main operating-cable around a greater portion of the periphery of the pulley as and for the purpose specified.

LOUIS SOLMAN FRANKLIN. Witnesses:

FRANK BRET THoM, J. F. VVHEELLER` 

